The Accra High Court has acquitted and discharged the Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, over criminal charges linked to allegations of dual citizenship.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the court dismissed all five charges against him, ending a lengthy legal battle that questioned his eligibility to contest in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Prosecutors had accused Quayson of holding Canadian citizenship at the time of filing his nomination, in violation of Ghana’s constitutional requirements for public office. He was charged with perjury, false declaration for office, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, and forgery of passport or travel certificate.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, upholding a submission of no case to answer filed by Quayson’s legal team.
According to the judgment, Quayson had initiated the renunciation of his Canadian citizenship before submitting his nomination and declared allegiance to Ghana in good faith. The judge noted that he did not act with malice and did not make any false statements on his nomination forms.
The court also found inconsistencies in the prosecution’s documentary evidence, including contradictions in witness statements and flaws in the statutory declarations and passport summary sheet presented.
Based on the weakness of the evidence, the judge ruled that there was no justification to call the MP to open his defense.
Following the acquittal, Quayson expressed relief and reiterated his longstanding position that he had complied with the law.
The verdict clears the legal uncertainty surrounding his position in Parliament and affirms his right to continue serving his constituents without further legal impediments.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Najat Adamu